The Importance of a BioBlitz
Climate change and the Arctic are heavily interlinked as the rise of global warming causes an increase of temperature in the Arctic. As a result, summer Arctic sea ice is shrinking by about 12% per decade, and this loss of sea ice exposes the darker ocean beneath. Ice, however, reflects most incoming solar energy back into space. This reflectivity, known as “albedo,” varies between surfaces: ice has a high albedo, meaning it reflects a lot of sunlight, whereas the ocean’s low albedo means it absorbs a greater amount of sunlight. As more sea ice melts, the Arctic Ocean absorbs more solar energy, resulting in an increase in heat. This extra heat warms the ocean, which in turn releases heat into the atmosphere, further raising global temperatures and causing Arctic sea ice to continue to melt. This ice-albedo feedback loop can cause detrimental cascading effects, resulting in the Arctic warming four times faster than the global average.
According to the Worldwide Fund for Nature, warming temperatures in the Arctic have a whole host of effects on its environment and ecosystems, including shrinking ice caps, thawing permafrost, and even wildfires (yes, wildfires in the Arctic!). Such loss of habitat puts strain on the population of native species, which struggle to survive in harsh environments. Polar bears, observed in parts of the High Arctic such as Svalbard, are threatened due to a lack of accessibility to food sources, especially seals, which are losing the sea ice habitat they need for pupping and resting. The lack of seals because of melting sea ice has delayed seasonal hunting and resulted in a higher mortality of young polar bears.
Warming global temperatures also alter environmental cues that affect species’ lifecycles, such as bird migratory patterns or plant flowering times. Environmental cues are natural signals, such as seasonal variations and weather, that impact animal behavior. Behavioral differences due to environmental changes can result in lifecycle mismatches between species that rely on each other for survival. For example, migratory birds are essential to the Arctic for pollinating plants, controlling pests, and serving as food for predators. Migratory birds arriving too early or too late in a season can shift the fragile balance of the Arctic’s ecosystems. Altered ecological cues can also cause flowers to bloom too early. As a result, pollinators that rely on flowers may not be able to adapt to the changing blooming time, resulting in an imbalance between pollinating periods and primary flowering times. This not only negatively impacts flowering plant populations that rely on pollinators to successfully reproduce, but also reduce pollinators’ food supply.
Scientists analyse population data to monitor biodiversity and observe such changes to understand how specific ecosystems are actively being affected by climate change. The Arctic has some of the Earth’s most fragile and complex ecosystems, making it even more crucial for us to understand how it’s changing. We are in a time when environmental education and citizen science are powerful tools in enabling individuals to contribute to identifying and quantifying the effects of climate change on biodiversity. By joining us in this BioBlitz as part of your Arctic journey, you can play a vital role in gathering data that enables scientists, policymakers, and communities to produce informed climate solutions. Join the effort to preserve Arctic habitats and protect the species that call them home!
Written by students at the University of St Andrews, as part of the Summer Teams Enterprise Programme (STEP) 2025